When I began this job at the very end of last year, I could not have anticipated how much of my time would be dedicated to supporting the businesses – large and small – that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we head into 2021, there is light on the horizon – vaccines are being distributed to health care facilities around the Commonwealth, including the MetroWest Medical Center, and ideas for helping the economy recover are being seriously debated at the state and federal levels. But I wanted to take a few minutes to let you know all of the work that the City of Framingham has done in the past year to support the city’s business community.

In total, Framingham secured almost $1 million from the federal CARES act. Those monies came through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, and we designed two important initiatives out of it. The first – the Small Business Resiliency Grant program – allowed small businesses with gross annual receipts of less than $2 million and had experienced a 50 percent loss of revenue to receive up to $10,000 to cover wages, rent, loss of inventory and more. To date, we have provided grants to 51 businesses – from florists to jewelers to dentists, restaurants, and salons – the employers that make up the lifeblood of any community. We’re still taking applications for employers who might qualify. If you think you might, please check out the Business Assistance page at the city’s website.

With some additional CARES Act funds we will be receiving after January 1^st, we also plan to assist five non-profit programs that help meet critical needs of the city’s residents. The programs address homelessness and homelessness prevention, food insecurity, lack of Internet access for the region’s seniors, and health insurance for Latino residents. Additionally, with the CDBG resources, we have provided emergency housing assistance to low income residents. Finally, the Office of Planning and Community Development has supported the efforts by the city’s boards and commissions to effectively interpret the orders from the Governor’s office, which has helped to bring some sense of stability to employers throughout the city.

We know that next year will bring additional challenges, especially as the region recovers from the pandemic. We anticipate that small businesses will need continued support, but even our large employers will have to grapple with the questions connected to their office space. We stand at the ready to work with them. And we are looking forward to pursuing the normal order of economic development in Framingham – continuing to promote the revitalization of Downtown Framingham, exploring ways to renew Waverly Street in South Framingham, and pursuing ongoing efforts to streamline our permitting process, among others.

Kevin Shea

Planning & Community Development